Moving abroad is an exciting and often difficult decision to
make. There are many unknown challenges you’re going to face. For an American like me, China has it’s own
unique set of difficulties we need to tackle and find solutions for. After 4 years of living in mainland China, I have
developed some tricks, tips, and attitude adjustments to help me through the
days. Here are a few I’d like to share
with you.
But first, notice that I said these are “challenges”. They’re not hardships or things that I hate. This is not an airing of my grievances. This is simply a list of honest things that
many foreigners will struggle with at one point or another. This is not a comprehensive list nor will
to pertain to everyone reading it. So
many factors will go into the relatability of this article; hopefully you will
get some value out of it.
The Language Barrier:
Let’s start with the obvious. Language really permeates all other issues on
this list. English is my first language and learning an
additional language (especially as a dyslexic) is a huge challenge for me. And I don’t believe anyone ever said that
Chinese was an easy language to master.
Needless to say, the more knowledge you have of the local language, the
better off you’re going to be. Putting
effort into this not only shows your willingness to communicate with the local
people, but also your dedication to improve the relationships with them.
Most language issues you can use translation apps to help.
They’re free. I use Google or Baidu and I
always have an offline dictionary at the ready.
Even Wechat has the ability to scan a document which will then translate
the text into English. Isn’t technology
grand?
Dealing with the Government:
Your relationship with the Chinese government as a whole
(from the local offices all the way up the chain) will be greatly improved with
your new language skills. They’re not
difficult to work with and they are very supportive and interested in helping
you with what you need. The hardest
thing to deal with is again, the language barrier. When you go to a Chinese government office,
you’ll be overwhelmed with how much paperwork there seems to be. Forms (3 copies of this, in the right order)
are abundant. It's everywhere! Things are changing as they continue to move
towards online services, but the process of filling out these forms can be overwhelming. In time, you begin to recognize certain characters
and with a lot of patience you’ll be able to accomplish what you need to get
done.
Internet Access:
Some people say that 70% of the internet is blocked by the
Chinese Great Firewall. I don’t if that’s
true or not, but a lot of the websites that we have become accustomed to using
and accessing in the west simply will not work here. And, even if they are not blocked, often they
are slowed down quite a bit. You start
to find alternatives where you can. For
example, instead of using Google for my English web searches, I will you
Bing. It’s not blocked, but of course
the results will be filtered as well. Streaming
sites and popular video games are hard to use here.
There are VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) which are more common then you think. I have used a multitude of them over the years, but from the very beginning, my reliable connection has been provided by Express VPN. There’s no sense is using the “free” VPN services, you’re going to have to pay to get reliable service. It’s true, there are times when all VPNs are blocked by the government, but even the government is aware that they are an essential part of international business dealings. The use of them will indeed slow down your connection as a whole. This just becomes the norm after a while and you get used to it.
Click on the link below to learn more about this.
Shopping:
In the larger cities where there are a lot more international
brands and there’s a market for international goods, this isn’t as much of an issue. But if you’re in a 2nd or 3rd
tier city and you’re looking for clothes, shoes, are toiletries to fit your
needs, this could be difficult. Just
like in life, you will improvise and adapt to this. There’s always online shopping such as Taobao
(and you can get your local friends to assist you in this) if you desperately
need something. But I have a rule: If I can’t find it in the local shops, then I
really don’t need it.
The Food:
The food is amazing.
Period. Embrace it. Enjoy it.
Be adventurous. But I recognize that
eating Chinese food 3 times a day, everyday can be a little too much. Finding good western food outside the major
cities is not easy. After a while you’ll
find the little nooks in your city that come close to the tastes of back
home. And let’s not forget that you can
cook yourself. Eating out in China is
one of the best things about living here, but for that truly authentic cuisine your
mother used to make, you’re going to need to attempt it yourself.
Lack of Privacy:
China is big and there are a lot of people. Until you walk around and experience it
yourself you really will not understand what that means. And, there are cameras taking your picture
just about everywhere you go. That’s not
just the street cameras and surveillance cameras, it’s also the locals who love
to shove a camera and your face with an eager smile or politely ask for a
selfie with them. There’s nothing wrong
with any of this as far as I’m concerned.
In the west, we would feel this is “big brother” but here, it’s
considered “safe”. Just assume that no
matter what you do online, or where you go in the country, there’s someone
watching. It’ll make you appreciate the animinity
you have when you go back home.
Driving:
One of the first things a foreigner will comment on when
they’re fresh off the boat is how crazy the traffic seems to be. It’s not that Chinese people don’t know how
to drive, it’s just that there’s a different driving culture here. After a while you start to recognize how
traffic flows through a city and anticipate patterns as it comes towards
you. It’s not hard to adapt and become
part of it. And you’ll find that when
you go back to your home country, you’ll have to re-adapt to the driving culture
there.
The Hardest Thing About Living Abroad:
I made another blog post about this issue. Please read it here and I go into depth about
it quite a bit.
Moving to China is a very rewarding experience if you are in
the right mindset. It’s a challenge and
all challenges have pitfalls and speed bumps you’ll need to deal with. But dealing with these issues with a good,
humble attitude will help you along the way and get you through each one. Remember, at the end of the day, the best thing
for your to do is smile and whisper to yourself, “it’s all part of the adventure”.